The trend for buyers to get into a bright red sportscar or convertible as they approach the mid-point of their lives appears to have waned, and motorcycles and scooters are acting as the new automotive alternative for those who want to hit the road with the wind in their hair.

Data obtained by Drive shows that, in line with the the number of motorcycle registrations having risen by more than 30 per cent in the past five years, the majority of new riders are males over the age of 40.

Ulysses Motorcycle club members June and Andy Grennan of Birmingham Gardens. Photo: Peter Stoop

NSW Roads and Maritime Services figures show that since 2003, the number of men aged 45 and over with a motorcycle registered in their name is up 182 per cent - from 31,646 registrations to 89,346.

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Over the same period, NSW car registrations for males over 45 also rose, albeit more steadily, up 30 per cent.

Males under the age of 45 with motorcycles registered in their names jumped 47 per cent from 54,758 to 80,549. Car registrations for the same group over the same period rose just 6.9 per cent.

Ulysses Motorcycle club logo. Photo: Phil Hearne

But it seems men aren’t the only ones taking to two-wheeled transportation.

The number of NSW women over the age of 45 with motorcycles registered in their name has jumped 195 per cent, from 2995 in 2003 to 8821 to June 30 this year.

Females under 45 are also being drawn to motorcycles and scooters, with an 87 per cent hike in registrations from 2003 (5819) to 2013 (10,882).

Ulysses Motorcycle club members at District Park Broadmeadow. Photo: Phil Hearne

To put those figures in context, car registrations for women under 45 years of age is up 18 per cent, and registrations for those 45 and over has jumped 60 per cent.

In Victoria, there is a similar trend towards motorcycles for those over 40 years of age.

Figures provided by VicRoads show that since 2011, motorcycle licensing rates for men aged 41 and over have risen 10.5 per cent. The figure for women aged 41 and over rose 17 per cent.

While the benefits of motorcycles are obvious - lower purchase price, lower running costs, less space required, the ability to duck and dive in traffic and the benefit of easier parking, to mention a few - it appears many buyers are also opting for two-wheelers as a form of rebellion. In other words, they’re having a good old-fashioned mid-life crisis.

Dr Rajat Roy is a lecturer at the Curtin Business School, specialising in marketing and psychology. He says that from about the age of 40 people take stock of their lives, and this can act as a driver for them to buy things they may not have otherwise bought.

“Mid-life crisis is a phenomena that certainly exists,” says Dr Roy. “The way psychology defines it is a difficult transition at about age 40. But the age of 40 is not fixed - people are getting married late, they’re picking up jobs late. So about 40-ish.

“What’s happening at that point of time is that people are doing a serious review of their lives so far. I would say it’s an intense period of self-evaluation.”

Dr Roy posits that people who hit middle-age ultimately come to the realisation they won’t live forever, and they’re eager to explore parts of themselves they may not yet have figured out. How they do that depends on a number of factors, including where they live.

“You have to look at the environment,” he says. “Sydney is congested, the transportation system is dysfunctional, the trains and buses are not working, not on time, too crowded. And at the same time, there’s a popular culture that is leaning towards bikes and scooters.”

Dr. Roy says the mentality that sort of behaviour is driven by is the fact people want to explore what they’re capable of, and to see what they may have missed out on earlier in their lives.

“They’re looking for interest areas which are beyond their self,” says Dr Roy. “It’s a behaviour, and a behaviour can be manifested in many different ways. It can be a two-wheeler, a fancy car, even a bike.

“[These behaviours] can be exciting, risky adventures in their lifestyle - that could explain their buying a bike. Or it could happen because they had a regret - they couldn’t do that [years ago] so they buy a Harley Davidson now.”

Dr Roy says people will also look for new groups of friends, and some will join clubs to spend time with like-minded people.

One such organisation is the Ulysses Club. You may have seen members riding their motorcycles in your area, with the prominent logo on their leathers and the slogan which states “Grow Old Disgracefully”.

The club’s national president Denis Paulin says membership number for the 40s-plus social club - like the number of registrations and licences - is on the rise.

“There’s only two things they have to do - they have to be 40 years of age, and have a motorcycle licence. That’s all we ask for.”

The average age of riders in the club is 56, but Paulin says there are still some active riders in their 80s and 90s.

“What happens is this; people might ride a bike earlier in their life, and then they get married and have kids and so forth, and they just can’t afford to keep a motorcycle and their car. So when the kids are off their hands, they go and buy another motorcycle,” he says.

“That can be a danger period for them, because they think they’ve still got the skills when they were riding - but they haven’t.”

Paulin says the club will subsidise rider training courses so that those types of riders will be better equipped to reacquaint themselves with two-wheelers.

“It’s not a crisis, it’s a lifestyle choice. People are choosing to get back on the bike.”

The club has almost 25,000 members across the country, and Paulin says about 14 per cent - or one in seven - is female. He says many male members will join up, and their wives or partners will see other women riding solo while they ride pillion, and they usually give it a go themselves.

34 comments so far

Interestingly, the age group most represented in motorcyle crashes/deaths is the 40+ age group....

Commenter

Problem?

Location

Date and time

September 06, 2013, 1:00PM

I suppose it would be worse if they started towing around caravans with their huge four wheel drives... oh..

Commenter

Dman

Location

Sydney

Date and time

September 06, 2013, 5:09PM

Yep.....the bell-curve is certainly skewed that way.

But factor-in that midlifers probably have more time on their hands, travel more, put down more kilometres, spend more time road-touring (as opposed to track days), opt for (poorer-handling) cruisers and that may go pert way to explain their prevalence in the road tolls.

Commenter

dW

Location

Date and time

September 06, 2013, 5:21PM

yes, sadly there has been a new wave of middle-aged motor-cyclists in bad, often fatal accidents over the last ten years. Possibly having been car drivers for many years they think it is easier than it is, or maybe the physical/balance skills aren't as good over age 40. So beware - an accident as a motorbike rider can easily be much worse than when you are protected within a car.

Commenter

doc

Location

trauma centre

Date and time

September 06, 2013, 6:05PM

motorbikes are death machines.come and work at a hospital and you'll see.

Commenter

C

Location

Date and time

September 07, 2013, 3:21AM

dunno about NSW ...but that is not the case not in Victoriaits under 25yo males.

Commenter

Les

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

September 07, 2013, 12:13PM

Got the dough then for it. A bike ride with a group is great fun. I think I'm in the demographic, though opted for the car with a thumping, road ripping V8. I rode in my twenties and it is time to get back on. A Harley is the only choice plus the sheep skin seat cover. Having spent my youthful years on a crotch rocket a sit back Harley soft tail is a great choice. As long as your rear is comfortable for hours on end, grad your fav ride.

If you have never ridden, get your licence and hire a bike.

Commenter

Ride on folks

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

September 06, 2013, 1:17PM

Get some advanced rider courses first, before you hit the road (no pun intended). The driver education for licensing is a joke; you don't even get to 60km/h on your test and then next minute you are free to ride alone on the roads.

Commenter

lolwat

Location

Date and time

September 06, 2013, 2:39PM

Why is "a Harley ...the only choice"....?

As a rider/owner of assorted motrocycles and scooter, I'd dare say "Hardley-Drivable" would be my last choice...

(and yes, do some of those advanced-rider training days. Stay-Upright and California Superbike Schools offer much for inexperienced riders)

Commenter

dW

Location

Date and time

September 06, 2013, 5:17PM

Yes, I'm one of those who got back on the bike at 45. And yes, I thought I was as good as I used to be until I nearly had a head-on with a bus in the ranges due to "target lock", only just managed to save myself. I now know that I am not a young-gum anymore, but I was lucky, not all those who get back onto bikes in senior years are so lucky.